The Vile.

Chapter : 70

She Knows.

He expected to see her sitting on this couch at his return. He has noticed her sitting on this couch most of the times. But when he returned and found the mansion still empty a cord inside him snapped. Why aren't they here yet? What can take them so long? Ekansh's complex mind starts building up things.

"Is she liking that mansion better than mine?" He thinks to himself, as his eyebrows furrow. He slams his hand on the windowsill out of the growing rage and that's when his eyes fall on the group of people who are coming back to the mansion. At the very end of the group walks Vasudha. Looking ahead of her, seemingly deep in thought. And this is that one characteristic of her that intrigues him more than anything. She is much more than what she presents herself to be. Calm, mysterious, addictive. While her friends are like constant chatter boxes, she is silent most of the times. But she talks, her eyes does. He has noticed it many a times by now. She is smart, clever.

That's why he knows that she hasn't stopped searching for her brother. Which also leads to his next assumption that she doesn't trust him enough but pretends to. He has to wipe out that small doubt from inside her to make her fully his. He wants her to trust him blindly. That's what lovers do, don't they? He can always acquire things with force, but this time he finds no fun in that. He wants to earn her trust, he wants to win her over. He waits at the same study room that has the piano and sees as everyone enters the room except for the person he was hoping to see the most.

"Where is Vasudha?" He asks without really addressing anyone.

"She.. she isn't feeling well. So decided to take some rest." Ganika answers. He immediately snaps his head towards her menacingly, as if willingly giving her a glance of his maniac self.

"If she wasn't feeling well, then why did you guys had to roam around for such a long duration? Shouldn't you have returned earlier?" He asks raising one of his eyebrows sarcastically. That takes Ganika off guard. She strives to answer when another voice interrupts from the entrance.

"Not their fault really, in all honesty I didn't tell them about how I was feeling. I should be the one at your disappointment's end." Vasudha says slowly entering the room and as if immediately the scenario changes. Ekansh takes some huge strides to reach her and before she could utter another word she was engulfed in an unwanted hug.

"I can never be disappointed on you. You should've rested." He says as she slowly and very tactfully pushes him from her body, holding her breath. Derek and Abhirup look at the scene then look at each other nervously. The discomfort in her eyes keep bothering them. She is right, they have to hurry up.

"It's totally fine. I feel okay now." She utters straightening her dress. What she doesn't notice is the gloomy expression on his face.

"Does my touch make you uncomfortable Vasudha? You seem to tense up everytime I touch you." He says curiously. Zoya overhears the conversation and immediately tries to normalize the situation.

"Oh, about that, she is just not a hugger. She is always...." But she fails to complete her sentence due to the harsh interruption.

"I thought your name was Zoya, not Vasudha? Have I been wrong all this time?" He asks.

"Please Ekansh, you don't have to talk to my friends like that. She wasn't lying though. I am not really comfortable with touching. Whoever it might be. I hope you understand. Perhaps someday we'll be close enough to freely embrace each other. Till then I know you will respect my space." Vasudha tries to handle the situation as calmly as possible. He obviously doesn't look convinced.

"And here I thought we are already close enough." He says and shakes his head in disappointment. She cannot let this happen, she knows, making him suspicious will only lead to a failure of their plan. So taking a deep breath she immediately holds his hand which obviously takes him by surprise and he inhales a sharp breath as his eyes meet hers.